Observatory

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Observatory \Ob*serv"a*to*ry\, n.; pl. {Observatories}. [Cf. F.
     observatoire.]
     1. A place or building for making observations on the
        heavenly bodies.
        [1913 Webster]
  


              The new observatory in Greenwich Park. --Evelyn.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A building fitted with instruments for making systematic
        observations of any particular class or series of natural
        phenomena.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. A place, as an elevated chamber, from which a view may be
        observed or commanded.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Mil.) A lookout on a flank of a battery whence an officer
        can note the range and effect of the fire; usually
        referred to as an {observation post}. --Farrow.
        [1913 Webster +PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  observatory
       n 1: a building designed and equipped to observe astronomical
            phenomena
       2: a structure commanding a wide view of its surroundings [syn:
           {lookout}, {observation tower}, {lookout station}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  46 Moby Thesaurus words for "observatory":
     Cassegrainian telescope, Newtonian telescope, OAO, OSO,
     Texas tower, astronomical observatory, astronomical telescope,
     beacon, belvedere, bleachers, bridge, coelostat, conning tower,
     coronagraph, coronograph, gallery, gazebo, grandstand, heliostat,
     lighthouse, lookout, loophole, observation post, orrery, outlook,
     overlook, peanut gallery, peephole, pharos, planetarium,
     radar telescope, radio observatory, radio telescope, reflector,
     refractor, ringside, ringside seat, sighthole, spectrograph,
     spectroheliograph, spectrohelioscope, spectroscope, telescope,
     top gallery, tower, watchtower
  
  

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  OBSERVATORY, n.  A place where astronomers conjecture away the guesses
  of their predecessors.
  
  

From U.S. Gazetteer (1990) [gazetteer]:

  Observatory, PA
    Zip code(s): 15214